3 Ways To Feel Younger

Like a carton of milk or a crate of eggs, do we as people have expiration dates?

When I explain to people that I am a transitional coach and legacy catalyst a frequent conversation ensues around the topic of aging. I am a firm believer in the concept that there is always a next act, and so, my answer is a quick “no.” We may not be the right fit for what we were previously doing, but we are absolutely the right fit for what is next!

Yet, I realize that there is no one right answer to this question. What determines how we live every decade of our lives is rooted in our own perspectives about the concept of aging, NOT about the situation or idea of aging itself. We will all advance 365 days every year. What we choose to do with those days is up to each of us.

This expiration date, a pre-conceived time that we are somehow no longer relevant, productive, or worthy is a leftover mindset from previous generations. Our parents and grandparents did not live the full lives we now do. They did not live as long, they were not as connected, savvy, and well educated as we are. Boundaries existed in prior generations around retirement, aging, and overall ability that simply beg to be discarded today.

The current baby-boomer generation is forever changing how people age. We are disrupting the idea of expiration in favor of reinvention and renewal. No longer are we thinking about our time being up, rather we are curating and directing new and creative ways to repurpose, renew, and invest our time. I say we, because I am proud to be among the women of this baby-boomer generation that are blazing new trails, discovering new interests, opening new businesses, and using their experience and their age as an asset rather than a liability.

We are erasing the idea of expiration dates. One business, one decision, one milestone at a time! We are changing the face of aging, revamping the possibilities, highlighting our worth and investing in the opportunities that continue well beyond any preconceived expiration date.

Here are 3 tips to assist you in breaking free of endings in favor of new beginnings.

Honor and Reframe Your Experience: Every skill set, every win, every loss, has brought you to today. All of these various aspects of your life make you an expert. Where can you repurpose those same skills whether acquired as a CEO, a mid-level executive, or as a stay at home caregiver? What have you always wanted to do, and yet have never done? What hobbies do you wish you could build upon? What exists at the intersection of what you are good at and what you love?

The Interview that Matters the Most is The One You Have With Yourself: Have a meeting with yourself. Sit down and ask yourself the tough questions that you never did. Picture yourself on an interview for your dream job or next venture. Ask yourself the following:

Why do you want this position, why is this business you would like to start important to you?

What would you most regret never doing?

If nothing were holding you back what would you do now?

The answers that you give yourself are your own intuition, and they are your own solutions. Give yourself the same respect, empathy, and understanding that you would if you were meeting with a friend and they were seeking your advice.

Remove The Finish Line: Focus on the step you can do next not on the finished project. With that in mind, what can you do now that will override your expiration date? Where can you mindfully engage in your next act? When you favor the present moment you open up a world of opportunity and possibility that you can actively make choices and decisions on.

Make yourself a list of the variables that you can control and the variables that you cannot control right now. Move ahead on the controlled variable list, those next steps that you can do now that take your assets and skills forward. Imagine that you are trying to lose 15 pounds and you lose 5. Instead of focusing on pound 15, focus instead on the very next pound. How do you get to pound number 6? Experience the process and the success that accompanies it.

Ready to shed your expiration date?

What’s now and what’s next?

3 Ways To Feel Younger was last modified: April 23rd, 2018 by Randi Levin

Randi Levin CPC, founder & CEO, Randi Levin Coaching—is a nationally recognized transitional life strategist, author, speaker, and reinvention expert. Utilizing a “what’s next mindset,” Randi applies her Signature GPS Coaching System incorporating growth, purpose, and success steps to support her clients in pivoting and refreshing their lives. She is a contributor and featured expert for HuffPost, Thrive Global, DivorceForce, Three Tomatoes, and Women for One. Her workshops have been featured in The Wall Street Journal and she is a contributing author in the anthology series Get RESULTS!